Do my eyes deceive me?

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by Silverhouse, Jan 5, 2017.

  1. Silverhouse

    Silverhouse Well-Known Member

    So, I bought a VF 20 1899 Barber Quarter. Pics of it are on another thread. I WAS going to bust it out for a CAPS album but upon close inspection I noticed this:

    IMG_20170105_202721.jpg IMG_20170105_202712.jpg

    As you can see, or at least I can, a gash between the R and D, (just above) umm, wouldn't this be a details coin? It's not so small that it can't be missed. On one hand I'm upset cause it SHOULD be a problem free coin, I mean that is the point of reputable TPGs right? Or am I off base here?
     
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  3. mynamespat

    mynamespat Well-Known Member

    We're gonna need better pics, boss.
    I'd imagine they give small gash's a little more lee-way on circulated coins than on uncirculated. Possibly, nasty enough for a downgrade; but conceivable enough it happened with normal wear, it wouldn't be considered details?
     
    Paul M. likes this.
  4. Could it be an O mint mark?
     
  5. Silverhouse

    Silverhouse Well-Known Member

    IMG_20170105_210133.jpg IMG_20170105_210117.jpg IMG_20170105_210113.jpg I'll attempt better pics, give me a few minutes. Let's try these.
     
    mynamespat likes this.
  6. I am going with an O mint mark with perhaps some PMD.
     
    carpman98, dwhiz and Bambam8778 like this.
  7. mark_h

    mark_h Somewhere over the rainbow

    Looks to me like a bad hit and I have seen worse not in details holders. Just my opinion.
     
    dwhiz and mynamespat like this.
  8. Silverhouse

    Silverhouse Well-Known Member

    1899 O huh? Now I'm going to look closer. LOL
     
  9. Rushmore

    Rushmore Coin Addict

    Counterfeit perhaps?
     
  10. Coinlover67

    Coinlover67 Well-Known Member

    To me looks like a O mint Mark with PMD. Look at the top part. Sure looks curved, and placement seems right.

    Sent from my ZTE B2017G using Tapatalk
     
  11. dwhiz

    dwhiz Collector Supporter

    Gee aren't they supposed to be the best LOL
     
  12. SuperDave

    SuperDave Free the Cartwheels!

    The "O mint mark" is just the metal gouged out of the hole. It had to go somewhere.
     
  13. Silverhouse

    Silverhouse Well-Known Member

    IMG_20170106_103329.jpg IMG_20170106_103454.jpg Even if it was an O, why would anyone gouge a coin like that? Others should post their details coins that we're straight graded. Get a list going and keep track.
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2017
  14. baseball21

    baseball21 Well-Known Member

    Looks fine for a 20. Appears to be old and the same color, its not in a focal point, not even on the obverse. Things happen in circulation
     
  15. Silverhouse

    Silverhouse Well-Known Member

    I understand, but even still. And the coin is outstanding for the grade.
     
  16. Treashunt

    Treashunt The Other Frank

    agreed
     
  17. Silverhouse

    Silverhouse Well-Known Member

    I wonder if I send it in if I can get the coin attributed to an 1899 O. I think the 1899 O has about 1.2 million for the mintage. but I don't even know if it would be worth it.
     
  18. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    I don't know what you people think you are seeing, but there is definitely no "phantom" O mintmark on that coin. Compare the OP's coin to literally any coin in the Heritage archives. There is no O: https://coins.ha.com/c/search-resul...13+4294967061+1585&ic4=Refine-MintMark-102615

    If there was an O, it still wouldn't be worth it to send it in - as you can see, the 99O in VF-20 is worth maybe $75.

    Now, back to the actual mark: it is a decent sized mark, for sure. However, it is within tolerance for problem-free grading. Would I want it on my coin? No. I'd return it (if possible).

    Yeah, this is a really common misconception. You'll find all kinds of junk coins in the top TPG slabs. Cleaning, hairlines, marks, gashes, incredibly ugly... just because a holder says VF-20 doesn't mean that it's going to meet your standards. It only means that it is considered market acceptable to a large percentage of the market.
     
    Silverhouse likes this.
  19. eddiespin

    eddiespin Fast Eddie

    That's interesting that you'd have the same thing on that quarter.
     
  20. eddiespin

    eddiespin Fast Eddie

    I think I concur.
     
  21. mynamespat

    mynamespat Well-Known Member

    I think I've come across one before also (might even have an example- will have to do some digging). Google is not helping me at all at the moment, but I want to swear I've come up with information about this in the past. I think the conclusion was it is a hardness test mark. If my memory serves me correctly, the census was it was a shopkeeper or banker who thought it was cute to leave a chopmark* where the MM would be located.

    *more like a chisel mark, but I don't really know what else to call it... a rockwell-hardness-test-done-with-a-chisel?
     
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